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W. S. ATWOUD.

TREAD PLATE.

APPLICATION HLED JAN. 14. 1915.

1 1 93,857. Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. ATWOOD, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

Application filed January 14, 1915.

To all HhUTIL it may concern:

Be it known that I, ll iLLiAM S. Arrwoon, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, and resident of the city of Montreal, in the Province ot' Quebec and Dominion of anada, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Treadllates, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in tread plates, and the object of the invention is to produce a metal tread plate of the apertured type having the apertures so guarded that all possibility of accident resulting from persons inserting umbrellas, canes and the like through the apertures will be pre eluded.

The device consists essentially of a plate, preferably of rolled sheet metal, having apertures therein formed by making cuts in the plate and slightly depressing the material inclosed by the cuts. The metal around the opening thus formed is turned upwardly.

In the drawings which illustrate the invention:-Figurcs 1 and l are partial plan views of a tread plate showing dilterent aperture arrangements. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a plate. Fig. l is an enlarged plan view of a single aperture. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-4), Fig. t. Figs. 6 and 7 are plan views showing slight modifications of shape. Fig. 8 shows a slight modification.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 designates a plate ot suitable material, preferably rolled sheet metal, which may be provided with flanges 12 if desired,

arranged in. any suitable manner. The. plate is provided with a multitude of small tongues or lugs 13 formed integral therewith by making curved or angular cuts in the plate. The portion of metal inclosed by each out forms a tongue and is bent slightly downward, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, so as to form an aperture 14 in the plate. The metal surrounding the aperture adjacent the free edge of the tongue is bent upwardly, as shown at 15, to provide a gripping surface upon which a persons foot will not readily slip.

In Figs. 1 to l, the tread plate has been shown with an aperture formed by an areuate cut of about 240. The invention is by no means limited to this particular form, as

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. S, 1916.

Serial No. 2,178.

arcuate cuts much shorter may be used, as shown in Fig. l', wherein the cuts separating the two tongues 13 are less than semi-circular, and are in tact equal arcs described from a. common center. In Fig. 7, the cut is angular in form producing a pointed tongue 13. Figs. 1 to 6 show the result produced by making the single cut, Fig. 7 by making two meeting cuts, while Fig. 8 shows the same result produced with two outs which do not meet but separate a strap 16 attached to the plate at its ends and depressed at its central portion, forming an elongated aperture. The long edges of the aperture are turned up as previously described to form the gripping portions 15. It is obvious that many other shapes may be used, as desired, and also that the arrange ment of the tongues in the plate may be of. any suitable form, as indicated by the difference between Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be readily understood that this invention is an improvement on my former patent applications, Ser. Nos. 871,055, 872.58% and 872,585. These inventions show tread plates adapted to particular and to more or less general purposes. It has been discovered, lIOWOVel', that tread plates with apertures entirely through are a source 0 danger in the steps of street railway cars or anywhere where they will be used by the general public, who are liable to accidentally or otherwise insert umbrellas, canes or the like through the plate apertures, with possibly disastrous results. In the present invention, an edge is termed in the plate which may be turned up to l'uovidc the re quired tread surface, as in the former patent applications. The tongue closes the aperture sutlicientl y to prevent the catching of an umbrella or cane therein, but yet leaves a sufficient space for the escape of water.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A device of the character described, comprising an apertured plate having a portion of the periphery of each aperture upwardly turned, and a tongue preventing passage through the aperture in a direction perpendicular to the plate.

2. A device of the character described, comprising an apertured plate, ridges or bosses partially surrounding each aperture formed by upward displacement of the metal at the edge of the aperture, and

tongues below the apertures integral with placed in formation of the aperture downthe plate and formed by downward (lisu'nrdly turned through an :ircuate angle. 3

placement of the metal IPI'HOYWI from the In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set apertures. my hand, in the presence of two Witnesses.

A trend plate comprising an nperi'urml WILLIAM S. ATW'OOD.

metal sheet having :1 portion of the metal at Witnesses:

the edge of each aperture upwardly turned S. R. W ALLEN,

through an acute angle, and the metal dis- G. BI. lWoRnLANI).

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

